A potential owner of the Bay Theatre, on Main Street Seal Beach, will present his plans for the property to the May 9 City Council meeting, according to Councilwoman Ellery Deaton. The Old Town council representative made the news public in a Thursday, April 28, email to her constituents.
“The owner has signed a contract with Paul Dunlap who intends to purchase the theater. Mr. Dunlap will be presenting his vision to restore and preserve the Bay Theater at the next City Council Meeting on May 9th at 7pm. You are invited to come, see and make comments about the presentation,” according to Deaton.
The Bay Theatre closed, “temporarily,” in August 2012.
In 2014, Carabetta, a manager of the Crema Cafe, formed the Bay Theatre Foundation, a non-profit, to raise money to buy the iconic local movie house from its owner.
Sometime after the foundation was formed, a hand-lettered sign was posted in the window of the movie house. According to the sign, the foundation was not affailiated with the Bay Theatre and the foundation was not authorized to raise money on behalf of the Bay Theatre. But foundation members had not represented them as acting on behalf of the owners.
